We see (and take) a lot of photos at Collage.com, because we know how important it is to preserve memories for years to come.

That’s why we want to help you take the best Mother’s Day shots possible: not only will they look great in a Collage.com photo book or on a photo blanket, but they’ll also be so meaningful decades from now when you look back on them.

Here are some of our favorite tips for taking the best photos on Mother’s Day, or anytime:

Get close! It’s always better to “zoom with your feet” instead of using a zoom lens or digital zoom on your phone. Try to capture as much of your subject in the photo as possible instead of the wall behind them.

Lighting: very important. Okay, maybe this goes without saying, but good photos feature great lighting. You don’t need to set up fancy lights or anything. Just make sure your shots aren’t backlit (unless you really want a silhouette only). We’re big fans of photos taken outdoors in natural light.

Turn up the brightness on your phone’s screen! Keeping your phone screen’s brightness down is a great way to save battery life, but it can make it hard to compose and take great photos. We recommend turning up your screen brightness when taking photos.

Know your camera. Whatever you use to take photos – whether it’s an iPhone, Android phone, or an actual (gasp!) camera – brush up on how best to use it. Five minutes of research can really pay off. Google for your specific camera (e.g. search for iPhone photography tips) learn ins and outs for your particular model. For example, did you know you can take photos with your iPhone’s volume buttons, or your Apple headphones?

Use our editing tools to improve your photos. Collage.com offers a full suite of photo editing tools that are easy to use and don’t require any software installation. You can do everything with our tools from adjusting contrast/brightness/saturation to removing red eye to adding cool visual effects. Here’s a guide with more info on how to edit your photos with Collage.com.